Week 2 Book Annotations

1. Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey, published 1950.
This is a book I read many years ago and am now rereading. Josephine Tey is a well-known British mystery author who wrote during the "golden age" of British mystery writing, from 1920 to 1950.
The story is rather unusual because it is both a "cozy" mystery, without overt violence, and yet extremely suspenseful.
There is a great deal of well-written dialogue, which moves the story forward at a rapid pace.
The setting is an English country estate, Latchetts, in the time period of post-WWII war Great Britain.
The plot centers on a long-missing heir, the elder of twin brothers, who was thought to have drowned himself at the age of thirteen. Then a stranger, Brat Farrar, appears, looking remarkably like the missing heir and claiming to be him. He's been coached in this deception, but not all is as it appears; the many plot twists and turns make for a riveting plot.
The book portrays life on an English country estate in the 1940s. Further details of the family's horse breeding and racing business add richness to the story.
Most interesting was the character development, as Brat becomes emotionally involved with the family and suffers guilt pangs as he proceeds with the deception of the Ashby family.

2. The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass, published 2010.
This is a book I recommended to my book group. Reviews stated that the book is "beautifully paced," as the story unfolds quickly enough to hold one's interest, and at the same time, leisurely enough to allow for a great deal of character development. The narrator is New Englander Percy Darling, a 70-year-old retired university librarian who views his life and routine as pretty well set and established as he plans to live out his retirement in the historic home he's owned for decades. However, surprising developments in several areas of his life, including a new romantic interest, conflicts with his children and community members, and long-hidden guilt over his wife's untimely death 30 years earlier, all serve to create an intriguing plot. Several thought-provoking issues are raised - immigration, eco-terrorism, social class - and the book becomes increasingly complex and suspenseful.